Thinking of buying a new duck

[k cit]

For a long time I've been thinking of buying a duck. I have many questions and it would be great to have some help.
Im thinking of buying 2 ducks but if I just bought 1 would that be ok?
I have a yard that is fenced and I also have a tool shed that I'm thinking of keeping my ducks in. Are there any renovations I would need to do in order to keep the ducks healthy?
I live in Colorado so I was just wondering would I be able to keep them indoors for weeks at a time when it gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer?
I'm thinking about imprinting the ducks. Is this a good idea for a noob duck owner?
What is the time commitment?
How much would it cost for 2 ducks yearly?

 

[dotknott]

Do you currently have any other poultry? Chickens perhaps?

Im thinking of buying 2 ducks but if I just bought 1 would that be ok? - People do this, but it's not ideal. There's a large time commitment in having just one duck instead of two since you'll have a duck that is likely to imprint on you. If you're looking at outdoor ducks get at least two. Ducks are flock animals and need to be in a group.
I have a yard that is fenced and I also have a tool shed that I'm thinking of keeping my ducks in. Are there any renovations I would need to do in order to keep the ducks healthy? Ducks will make a mess of what ever you keep them in. If you want to have them make a mess of your tool shed, then this will work as long as it's secure from predators.
I live in Colorado so I was just wondering would I be able to keep them indoors for weeks at a time when it gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer? - again, ducks are messy. Many breeds of duck are fine in cold climates as long as you bring them fresh water to replace the frozen water.
I'm thinking about imprinting the ducks. Is this a good idea for a noob duck owner? - this is personal. I don't like that people do it. It makes your duck VERY dependent on you emotionally. When you leave, the duck will cry. Every. Time. People that get one duck want this but you need to be able to be with the duck close to 24/7.
It's possible to have a relationship with your ducks with out imprinting, you just have to spend time with them and not be discouraged when they are afraid of you (which will happen.)
What is the time commitment? - outdoor ducks? Depends. I spend about 3 hrs a week if I do the bare minimum. Indoor ducks? I can't comment.
How much would it cost for 2 ducks yearly? - If there's no vet care needed then it's just he cost of water and food. How much food you need to buy is going to depend on the breed and how much they can forage in your yard.

 

[k cit]

Thank you so much!
I've decided not to imprint but do you have any breeds to suggest?
And I have no intent on haveing any ducklings in the future so with that in mind, should I get 2 males or 2 females?

 

[hilltopchicks77]

My uncle had had Pekins and runners. We have muscovys but they are our first. I got ours from tractor supply and I thought I was buying Pekins these are not bad but I liked his Pekins the best

 

[dotknott]

Breed is a personal choice, and frankly one of the best introductions to ducks!

I'd suggest taking a look at what folks in your area have available through Craigslist and the buy/sell forum here. With that you can start to see what each breed offers. You may get ½ a paragraph in to reading about a breed and know right away it's not the right fit!

There are sites like the livestock conservancy that covers heritage breeds and they have a off that should tell you if the breed you're looking at is appropriate for a novice. That site in particular is great for some breed history and things like average # of eggs/year.

As far as genders max I'd suggest is 1 male. It's okay to to have a pair even if you don't want to hatch out ducklings. You'll just need to practice duck birth control and collect eggs daily. (Because they will totally go at it!)

If you start to hone in on a breed there are some great breed specific threads on the forums here. You can either ask directly in those threads or in a new one.

 

[TLWR]

There are lots of folks with small male only flocks that get along just fine, so if you just want pets, 2 males would be fine. If you want eggs and don't mind some noise from the quacking, get girls.

 

[dotknott]

In my experience males don't remain on their best behavior in a bachelor pad setting. Maybe because in my experiences the males had been with females prior or were not raised together.